Teacher of Computing (KS3 - KS5)

About the role: We are seeking to appoint a well-qualified, enthusiastic and inspiring teacher to join our Computing department. Our GCSE and A level courses follow the OCR specification and are both popular and successful. We have increased our provision over recent years and have achieved very good outcomes with an increasingly large cohort at GCSE and outstanding results at ALevel which regionally is a rare offering at a non-selective school. At KS3 we follow the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme; students at this level begin to develop their enthusiasm, wonder and understanding of the digital world by being exposed to concepts ranging from e -safety, preparing graphics for products and basic computer programming.

The ideal candidate will have both the commitment and ability to enthuse and motivate our students to ensure excellent progress is made by all. They will be a dynamic teacher who encourages a love for the subject through both their teaching and their involvement in co-curricular offers. The successful candidate should have a genuine passion for the subject, the ability to be an outstanding teacher of Computing and be committed to raising achievement, raising aspirations and going the extra mile.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a department and academy on a journey of ongoing improvement, where teachers are supported and encouraged to develop their classroom practice through a wide range of development opportunities.Our pedagogical approach is based on the latest evidence and research and ensures that teaching is efficient and effective whilst prioritising staff wellbeing. We ask our teachers to plan for a rigorous learning experience in which knowledge is broken down into manageable chunks so as to prevent cognitive load and allow our students to remain focused on what is important. We believe that knowledge should and needs to be taught explicitly from the front by the subject expert in the room. Working in this way allows our students to focus on the recall and activation of that knowledge and bring it to bear on conceptually focused questions. Through direct instruction, retrieval practice, low stakes testing and question level analysis in all year groups, we believe that subject gaps will be tackled as they occur and that proactively working in this manner will eliminate the need for reactive intervention in exam year groups. The academy has a zero tolerance approach to misbehaviour and low-level disruption, our behaviour systems are tightly managed so that teachers are able to focus on delivering high quality teaching in a positive classroom environment that is conducive to learning. The £50 million campus incorporates four home schools each serving 450 students, alongside a range of state-of-the-art resources for sport, the arts and digital communication. This structure has enabled us to build an academy where every pupil is able to achieve their full potential. An academy where no child feels lost and no child is left behind. An academy where the bonds between parent, teacher and child are strong. As part of The Leigh Academies Trust we are able to offer even further scope for collaboration, developing best practice, staff investment and training opportunities at both classroom and leadership level. This role would be suitable for NQTs or more experienced teachers

Being a part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st September 2020, our Trust will comprise 28 geographically organised academies (11 secondaries, 15 primaries and 2 special) educating over 16,000 students, and employing over 2,500 talented staff.  We also have one further secondary academy in the development phase, due to open in September 2021. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North West Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training providers and a large teaching school. Click here to view our future plans in our Vision 2025 document.   

As part of Leigh Academies Trust you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust.  This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Recruitment and hiring during COVID-19: Despite the challenges we face, recruitment and hiring will continue for all Leigh Academies Trust vacancies with as little disruption as possible over the coming weeks and months. This is for all senior, teaching and support staff appointments. Applications will still be reviewed and interviews conducted in a timely manner, although interview activities will vary. If you have any queries or concerns, please get in touch with the LAT Talent Team - talent@latrust.org.uk

Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Leigh Academies Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy sooner than the specified closing date.  Applicants will be notified of this where possible.  Therefore, early applications are encouraged.